DEC Releases Final Report on Commercial Fisheries Licensing, Advancing Improvements to Reform and Improve Licensing Process 

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today released the final New York Marine Fisheries Licensing Review (PDF), a report on commercial fishing operations in New York’s Marine and Coastal District. DEC worked with marine fisheries consultant, George LaPointe Consulting LCC, to review New York State’s existing commercial fishing licensing system and provide recommendations to reform and improve the licensing process for the State’s marine commercial fisheries permits.

The report’s review applied to limited entry commercial fishing licenses, which include the Food Fish License, Crab Permit, Whelk License, and Lobster Permit. Limited entry permits and licenses are currently restricted to eligible applicants that must first meet specific monetary requirements before being selected to receive a permit.

During the review process, DEC hosted a series of public meetings with state-licensed commercial fishing permit holders and other stakeholders to collect feedback and comments on the current licensing system. The draft report was released in 2019 for public review and to collect additional input from stakeholders. The final report summarizes feedback received from stakeholders, including challenges and concerns reported by state-licensed fishermen, as well as recommendations to improve the process for issuing licenses to state-licensed commercial fishing operations.

DEC will implement a step-by-step approach to address the report’s recommendations to modify the commercial licensing process. Initially, DEC will clarify when limited entry licenses may be transferred between family members, including the meaning of “immediate family,” pursuant to the Environmental Conservation Law.

Recommendations include:

• evaluating opportunities to improve fisheries management legislatively, including approval of the temporary use of a limited entry license by a non-license holder in the event of a medical hardship and modification of the selection process for new limited entry licenses to increase the probability of applicants that have applied for multiple years to receive the license; 
• establishing a definition and standards for latent licenses, which are issued but report no fishing activity;
• initiating a license requalification program to require verification of recent and active fishing operations to maintain limited entry licenses; and
• launching a transferability program of limited entry licenses for eligible potential license holders.

The report’s closing recommendation is to initiate an apprentice program to provide increased opportunities in marine commercial fisheries. DEC is assessing options to implement this recommendation in partnership with the commercial fishing industry and local fisheries research and management organizations.

DEC will continue to seek input and collaboration from state-licensed fishermen and stakeholders as the licensing system is revised and improved for current and future needs. For more information on the Commercial Fisheries Licensing Review, visit DEC’s website.